We're the Perfect Print team. When people print a nail-tip sizing template — the sheet of numbered shapes you measure your nails against — the problem is almost always the same: it comes out smaller than it should. You match your nail to size 4 on paper, order that size, and the tip doesn't fit, because the print shrank the template. This article shows why that happens and how to print a nail-tip template at its true size so the measurements you take are real.
Why fit to page ruins a sizing template
A nail-tip template only works if every shape on it is the exact width it claims to be. The moment a printer applies fit to page or auto-shrinks to leave a margin, every shape gets a little smaller, and the size numbers no longer match real millimeters. You can't see the shrink by eye — a size 5 that printed at the width of a size 6 looks completely normal — which is exactly why the wrong tip arrives. The template has to print at true scale or it tells you nothing.
This matters because nail tips are measured in millimeters, and the gaps between sizes are small. A couple of millimeters of shrink is the difference between a tip that hugs the nail and one that lifts at the edges. So the goal is simple: print the template so a shape labeled, say, 11 mm wide is actually 11 mm wide on paper.
How to print the template at actual size in Perfect Print
Pick a paper size (a letter sheet) and load the template image. Set it to print at actual size (100%) rather than fit to page, and confirm the real dimensions in inches or millimeters so nothing is rescaled. If your template comes with a reference scale or a square of known size, measure that square on the print with a ruler — when it matches, every nail shape on the sheet is correct too.
If you're building your own template or printing tips for both hands, lay out each finger's size on one sheet at its real width, so you can measure all ten against your nails in one pass. Millimeter precision keeps the increments between sizes accurate. Print, lay the sheet under your fingertips, and pick the size that matches — and because it printed at true scale, the size you choose is the size you'll order.
Perfect Print
A free app that prints images and documents at actual size (in inches or mm) so templates come out true to scale. Millimeter-precise, no sign-up, iPhone / Android.
Learn more about Perfect PrintFrequently asked questions
Why does my nail-tip template print too small?
The print setting is shrinking it. Fit to page or auto-margin scales every shape down, so the size numbers no longer match real millimeters. Print at actual size (100%) instead so the template stays true.
How do I confirm the template printed at the right size?
If the template has a reference square or scale of known size, measure it with a ruler. When that matches, every nail shape on the sheet is at its true width too.
Can I print sizes for all ten fingers at once?
Yes. Lay each finger's size on one sheet at its real width and print at actual size, so you can measure all ten nails in a single pass.
Why does a small shrink matter so much?
Nail tips are measured in millimeters and the steps between sizes are small. A couple of millimeters of shrink can mean ordering a tip a full size off, so true-scale printing is what makes the measurement reliable.